Furniture glider



Nqv. 22, 1949 w. H. CHURCHILL 2,438,849

' FURNITURE GLIDER FiledvMarch 25, 1947 QZZ I I W2.

ML N127? ova/Paw; L

MWNJUAOL Patented Nov. 22, 1949 FURNITURE GLIDER Wilmer H. Churchill,Saugus, Mass, assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge,Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 25, 1947, SerialNo. 736,980

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to furniture gliders of the type having arounded-edge head portion secured to a fastener element designed to besecured within a tubular member, as for example an article of.furniture, and. aims generally to improve existing gliders of that type.

One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of a gliderof simple yet strong construction and one which may be economicallymanufactured.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a furniture gliderhaving a cup-shaped head provided with a continuous upstanding marginalflange adapted to have edg-e-to-edge abutting bearing engagement withawall of a. tube in which it is fitted.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improvedconstruction of glider which may be made in a variety of shapes so as tobe, adaptable for attachment to tubular metal furniture legs of variouscross sectional shapes.

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent to personsskill-ed in the art to which the invention relates from a considerationof the accompanying drawings and annexed specification illustrating anddescribing twoembodiments of the invention.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of afragmentary portion of a furniture leg and illustrating one embodimentof an improved glider applied. thereto;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the glider according to the embodimentshown'in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the glider shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the glider shown in Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail transverse sectional view of the glider as taken onthe line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of thertwo parts of the glider indisassembled relation; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of av modified form of glider embodying theinvention.

Referring to the drawings, the improved glider is adapted for attachmentto a tubular leg of an article of furniture which may be constructed ofsheet metal tubing and comprises a fastener flange generally conformingto the shape of the base as well as the terminal end of the furniturelegortubing to which the glider is to be secured. Suitable attachingmeans may be provided for securing the head and fastener part inassembled relation.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive isof a type adaptable to metal tubing furniture legs of rectangular crosssection, and more particularly to multi-cellular tubing which may bebuilt up of metal channel sections to provide a furniture leg ofexceptional strength, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A furniture leg I of such tubing-may be built up of opposed channels 2having their flanges crimped as at 3 over the side edges 4 of facingstrip 5, the crimped joints; being securely connected, as; by welding.and embraced by inwardly facing channels 6. The furniture leg thusformed is of general rectangular form transversely di-- vided andreinforced by the channels 2 providing a multi-cellular post consistingof a central bore A and end bore B. It will be understood that theimproved glider is adaptable for attachment to the construction of otherrectangular tubes or posts, and that the particular construction offurniture leg forms no part of the present inventic-n.

The improved glider of the present invention comprises a fastener memberID provided with a base portion I I having a plurality of pairs ofwall-engaging means integrally joined thereto and generally disposedsubstantially normal to the plane of the base. One pair of wall-engagingmeans consists of opposed relatively long resilient wall-grippingportions 12 bent perpendicularly from the base and disposed a selecteddistance inwardly of opposed marginal edges l3 thereof.

The wall-gripping members [2 are provided with outwardly divergingportions l4 and inwardly converging or tapering ends l5, and the sideedges of the portions [2 are preferably provided with barbs or prongs I6at the juncture between the portions l4 and l5 to bite against theadjacent wall of the tube I, as for example the spaced transverse walls2 shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

' The other pair of wall-engaging means are preferably shorter andstiffer wings or tongues ll bent perpendicularly of the base H andadapted to engage the inner faces of opposed walls of the tubing, as forexample the walls 5 thereof as shown in Fig. 2. According to thisembodiment of the invention, the wings or tongues I! are disposed inplanes perpendicular to the planes of the wall-gripping members, andthus when in frictional engagement with the walls 5, serve to p sitionthe fastener member and the glider properly with respect to the leg I.

The glider head 20 conveniently is formed of a cup-shaped metal parthaving a convexed or dome-shaped bottom 2! and an integral peripheralmarginal flange 22 generally conforming to and adapted to receive thebase I I of the fastener member 20. Suitable attaching means areprovided for securing the head 20 to the fastener member and preferablythese may be in the form of attaching lugs 23 integrally joined to theperipheral flange 22 of the head 20 and clenched against the baseportion ll fitted therein.

It will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 that when the glider is fittedwithin the furniture leg I, the wall-gripping members are forced towardeach other and placed under tension so as to grip the opposed faces ofthe tubing, for example the walls 2, throughout substantial lengths. Theother pair of wall-engaging means I1 engages the perpendicular faces 5and thus accurately centers or positions the glider relative to the legI. The head 20 desirably conforms in size and shape to the lower openend of the leg I so that the peripheral flange 22 is in edge-to-edgeabutting engagement with the wall of the leg I.

In Fig. 8 there is illustrated a slightly modified form of the inventionadapted for attachment to tubings or posts of generally triangular crosssection. According to this embodiment the base II is generallytriangular and is provided with a pair of relatively long resilientwall-gripping members I2 disposed normal to the base and at right anglesto the perpendicular bisector thereof. The positioning means Il mayextend angularly from the base edge of the triangular base andconveniently are disposed on opposite sides of one of the grippingmembers [2. The head 23 is of generally triangular form to provide aperipheral flange 22 adapted for edge-to-edge abutting engagement withthe wall of a triangular leg tube, and the attaching lugs 23conveniently may be on the side flange and overlie the base llintermediate the opposed wall-gripping means I2 From the above it willbe apparent that the invention provides a very simple and efficientfurniture glider in which the peripheral flange of the cup-shaped headhas an edge-to-edge bearing engagement with the walls of the furnitureleg providing a very strong construction. The arrangement anddisposition of the wall-engaging means l2, l2 -l'l, Il not only serve tosecure the glider to the metal post or leg I, but serve to maintain thedesired edge-to-edge abutting engagement therewith.

Although I have illustrated and described two embodiments of theinvention, I do not intend to be restricted to the details thereof, asthe scope of the invention is best defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A furniture glider for installation in the end of a tubular furnitureleg, said glider comprising a cap member having a dome-shaped base andupstanding flanges extending from the peripheral edges of said basenormal to a plane passing through said edges and presenting at theirouter ends bearing surfaces for engaging the end edges of the walls ofthe tubular furniture leg on which said glider may be installed, and afastener member having a base fitting within said upstanding flanges anda pair of elongated wall-engaging spring members extending substantiallynormal to said base and having sharp projections for engaging opposinginterior surfaces of the walls of such tubular furniture leg, and a pairof positioning members extending normal to said base for engaging theinterior surfaces of the walls of such a tubular furniture leg adjoiningtheir end edges, said upstanding flanges having inwardly extendingelements overlying said fastener member base for retaining said cap andfastener member in assembled relationship.

2. A furniture glider for installation in the end of a tubular furnitureleg, said glider comprising a sheet metal cap member having adome-shaped base and upstanding flanges extending from the peripheraledges of said base normal to the plane passing through said peripheraledges and presenting at their outer ends bearing surfaces for engagingthe end edges of the walls of the tubular furniture leg on which saidglider may be installed, a sheet metal fastener member having a basefitting within said upstanding flanges and a pair of elongatedwall-engaging spring members extending substantially normal to said baseand having projecting therefrom teeth for engaging the interior surfacesof opposing walls of such a furniture leg and a pair of positioningmembers extending substantially normal to said base for engaging theinterior surfaces of opposing walls of such a furniture leg adjacenttheir end edges intermediate the walls engaged by said spring members,said upstanding flanges having inwardly extending elements overlyingsaid fastener member base for retaining said cap and fastener member inassembled relationship.

3. A furniture glider for installation in the end of the tubularfurniture leg of generally triangular cross-section, said glidercomprising a generally triangular head having a dome-shaped base andupstanding flanges extending from the edges of said base normal to theplane passing through said edges and presenting at their outer endsbearing surfaces for engaging the ends of the walls of the triangulartubular furniture leg on which said glider may be installed, and a sheetmetal fastener member having a triangular base fitting within saidupstanding flanges and a pair of elongated wall-engaging spring membersextending substantially normal to said base at right angles to aperpendicular bisector of said base and having sharp projections forengaging opposing interior surfaces of the walls of such a furnitureleg, said upstanding flanges having inwardly extending elementsoverlying said fastener member base for retaining said cap and fastenermember in assembled relationship.

WILMER H. CHURCHILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,112,828 Neuberth Oct. 6, 19141,500,199 Overmyer July 8, 1924

